Grille for radiator shell fronts



y 1934- L. B. GREEN 1,960,629

GRILLE FOR RADIATOR SHELL FRONTS Filed Feb. 24, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Inna/7 Lee :B. agree 7 QWWQ y 29, 1934- L. B. GREEN 1,960,629

GRILLE FOR RADIATOR SHELL. FRONTS Filed Feb. 24. 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 wvllllllllllll'llll I Inveni-or-i Lee. B, Greer;

Patented May 29, 1934 STATES P NT @FICE 1,960,629 GRILLE son RAniAroaSHELL FRONTS Application February 24, 1933, Serial No. 658,283,

10 Claims.

My invention relates to louver-type grilles adapted to extendeffectively across an air-admitting opening, such as the usual frontalopening of the housing for the radiator core of an automobile. In itsgeneral objects, my invention aims to provide grilles of this type whichwill conceal the radiator core behind the grille to a much greaterextent than the parallel bar louver-type grilles now commonly employedand which will prevent a considerable portion of the dust in theadmitted air from reaching the core cells of the radiator core.Furthermore, my invention aims to provide an inexpensive constructionfor rigid grilles of this class, which will permit the louver elementsto be valid in their frontal appearance so as to afford many differentornamental effects.

In the now customary louver-type radiator grilles, the louver membersare so called blades extending substantially parallel to each otheracross the air-admitting opening, with the presenting flat blade facessubstantially at right angles to the general plane of the said openingand to front face of tht radiator core, the consecutive blades beingspaced by distances considerably greater than the width of the frontalface portion of each blade. When thus disposed, these louver blades(when viewed squarely from in front) conceal only the relatively smallfraction of the front face of the radiator core corresponding to theratio of the total front edge width of all of the louver blades to thewidth of the air-admitting opening across which the grille extends. Forexample, if the spacing between consecutive louver blades is four timesthe effective thickness or frontal width of each blade, a full frontview of the grille will leave these blades concealing only one-fifth ofthe front face of the radiator core.

The extent of this fractional concealing of the radiator core increaseswhen the observer moves toward either side of the longitudinal axis ofthe car, but the radiator core usually remains partly visible until theline of observation reaches an angle of approximately 45 degrees withrespect to the said general plane of the frontal opening in the radiatorshell. Consequently, a grille of this conventional type is sadlydeficient in eriecting the radiator-core concealment for which thegrille is largely intended. Moreover, such louver blades of rearwardlyopen U-sections usually present a severe prison bar effect when viewedfrom the front, so as to detract from the ornamental appearance forwhich the radiator shell and parts adjacent to the latter are designed.

In one of its important aspects, my invention aims to overcome the justrecited objections by providing simple and easily manufacturedlouver-type grilles which will entirely conceal the radiator core whenthe grille is viewed squarely from the front, which will never permit anobserver to see more than a minor fraction of the face of the radiatorcore, and which will readily allow the frontal appearance of the louverblades to be varied so as to enhance the general appearance of the frontof the car.

A further objection to both louver-type and woven wire type automobileradiator grilles is due to the fact that the air admitted through thepassages between adjacent blades or other elements of such grilles flowsdirectly and unimpeded to the cells or air-passages of the radiatorcore, thereby readily enabling dust in the air (or mud which has beensplashed up into the air by a more forward car) to clog these corecells.

ducing of the efiiciency of the radiator core by disposing part of thelouver blades (or other louver elements) so that they will modify thedirections in which air flows after being admitted between other louverblades, and so that this change in the direction of the admitted airwill be sumciently abrupt to prevent a considerable portion of the dust(or the like) in the air from being carried by the air to the cells ofthe radiator core.

Illustrative of the manner in which I accomplish the above recitedobjects,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an upper end portion of a staggered-bladegrille embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of portions of the same grille.

My present invention aims to reduce such a re- Fig. 3 is a slightlyenlarged and fragmentary perspective view of the blade-connecting barshown in Fig. 2, drawn on the same scale as Fig. 2 and looking downward.

Fig. 4 is a plan view allied to Fig. 2, showing centrally ribbed louverblades, and showing the rearward blades of a V-section.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a portion of a conventional grille withU-sectioned blades in a single row, and with both the mid-plane spacingof the blades and the amount of metal in the blades corresponding tothat shown in Fig. 4, for comparison with the latter figure.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a por tion of one of theforward louver blades in Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a portion of a staggeredblade grille allied toFig.4, but with both the forward and the rearward blades of a rearwardlyopen v-section.

: Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of a por- .the spread S of theair-passage between two adtion of the cross-bar shown in Fig. 9.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of a portion of a staggeredblade grille showingV-sectioned louver blades, with a smaller angular spread between thewebs of each blade than in Fig. 7, and also showing a different formingof the lateral edge portions of the forward blades.

Figs. 10 and 11 are fragmentary plan views of staggered-blade grilles inwhich the rear ends of consecutive blades are relatively staggered,while the forward edges of the blades are in the same plane.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary plan view allied to Fig. 11, showing louverblades presenting frontal portions of alternately different widths, andshowing the frontal portion of the frontally narrower louver blade asornamented by a slotted tube attached to it.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged and fragmentary view of the blade-connectingcross-bar in Figs. 10, 11 and 12.

Fig. 14 is an enlarged perspective view of a rearward portion of one ofthe generally V-sectioned blades in Fig. 12, showing the initialdisposition of the fingers which clinch through the slots in thecross-bar of Fig. 13.

Fig. 15 is a fragmentary front elevation of a grille having staggeredannular louver elements of rearwardly open and wide-angled V-sections,with the forward louver elements ornamented by medial ribs.

Fig. 16 is a section taken along the line 16-16 of Fig. 15, with dottedlines showing the direction of the air flow and the effect of a rearwardlouver element on admitted dust.

Fig. 17 is a fragmentary and diagramatic horizontal section through aV-front grille embodying my invention.

In the fiat-fronted embodiment of which fragments are shown in Figs. 1to 3, my grille includes two sets of relatively staggered and uprightlouver I blades, each of which louver blades presents a fiat front face;namely, forward blades 1 which are uniformly spaced from each other andhave their front faces in a common plane, and rearward blades 2 each ofwhich extends behind the opening between two of the forward blades. Eachrearward blade 2 has its longitudinal medial line in a plane P (at rightangles to the front faces of all of the grilles and parallel to thelongitudinal edges of the blades), which plane extends midway betweentwo adjacent forward blades 1.

Each louver blade of both sets desirably has both of its lateral edgeportions recurved rearwardly so as to stiffen the blade, therebypermitting the use of light sheet metal for each blade. This recurvingmay be such as to present the initial free edge portion 1A of the metalstrip from which the blade is formed behind the' adjacent 1 lateral edgeof the frontal blade portion, as shown in Fig. 2, thereby also enhancingthe appearance of the grille and preventing whistling in case the car isdriven at high speed or facing a strong wind.

Each rearward blade 2 in Figs. 1 to 3 has each lateral edge portion 2Abent rearwardly, desirably at an angle of at least 4.5 degrees.Moreover, the total width W of each rearward blade desirably is at leastequal to (and preferably greater than) jacent forward louver blades, sothat each rear ward blade has its lateral edge portions extendingsquarely behind one of the two forward blades between which it isoperatively interposed.

To connect all of the louver blades into a rigid assembly, I desirablyemploy cross-bars B (spaced vertically from each other after the mannerlong customary in louver-type grilles), each of which bars extendsbehind and is directly secured to the rearward blades 2 and hasforwardly extending arms A secured to the forward blades 1. The

arms A desirably are formed integral with the bar from which theyextend, and to secure the needed rigidity of the louver-blade andcross-bar assembly while using a light gauge of metal, I preferably havethe arms A extend alternately from opposite edges of the bar (as shownin Figs. 2 and 3) and bend the free end of each arm to form a foot Fbearing against the rear face of the corresponding forward louverelement 1. -In addition, I desirably form the bar so that each portion Bwhich bears against the rear face of one of the rearward louvers 2 isoffset forwardly from the main portion of the bar to clear therearwardly turned edge portions 2A on the rear louvers.

With the forwardly offset bar portions B formed to fit against theentire rearward faces of the rear louver blades, and with each foot Fcorresponding in width to the spacing between the recurved edge portions1A on a louver blade, all blade-engaging portions of the bar and thearms of the bar are readily guided during the assembling, so that theseportions can speedily be welded to the blades to complete the assembly.And, by having the said arms extend alternately from opposite edges ofthe bar carrying them, I prevent any tilting of the bar with respect tothe blades.

In a thus constructed grille, it will be obvious from the dotted sightlines 3 in Fig. 2 that each rearward louver blade 2 entirely conceals aview through the passage between the two adjacent frontal louver blades1 when the view is squarely from the front. It will also be seen fromthe dotted when all blades have flat faces, is much more efiicient forobscuring a view of what is behind it than might at first be assumedfrom the wide spacing of the blades shown in Fig. 1. This viewobscuringeffect can easily be enhanced still further, by bowing the transverselymedial portion of each frontal louver blade forwardly to form a medialrib R, as shown in Fig. 4, as the reflection of light from each such ribwill be in directions different from that in which light is reflectedfrom the other flat forwardly facing portions of the same louver blade.

Moreover, I can secure this enhanced concealing and obscuring effectwithout using more metal 1 s from a strip of sheet metal of the samewidth as that used for each U-sectioned blade in Fig.5, and theconsecutive spacing D of the relatively staggered blades 6 in Fig. 4. isthe same as the consecutive spacing of the blades in the grille of Fig.5, which latter grille obviously will permit a large amount of light toreach a radiator core behind it, and will conceal that core to a muchsmaller extent.

In addition, my staggered-louver grille serves in the followingimportant manner for reducing the amount of dust in the air which willreach the radiator core: When such dust enters passages between bladesof a conventional louvertype grille squarely from the front, or even atsuch a lateral angle as shown by the dotted line 7 in Fig. 5, this dustwill continue on to the core; and it will likewise be diverted towardthe core by a single reflection if it enters along the dotted line 7 ofFig. 5.

However, dust admitted between adjacent frontal louvers in Fig. 2squarely from the front will rebound, and the effect of the rebound inreducing its velocity will cause some of this dust to fall. When suchdust enters along the line 7 in Fig. 2, this dust will be reflected bythe forward face of a rearward louver against the rearward face of afrontal louver blade; and, since the latter blade has an air-pocketadjacent to its rear face, gravity will combine with the lack of airmovement in this air pocket (and with the reduction in the momentum ofthe dust due to the double impact) to cause the dust to drop down behindthe said frontal blade.

No similar reflection occurs for the air, because of the enormouslylower specific gravity of the air, and also because the usual suctionfan of the car cooperates with the forward movement of the car to admitthe air between each two consecutive frontal louver blades mainly in adirection at right angles to the general plane of the grille. Theadmitted air is then divided by the suction of the fan into two streamspassing opposite sides of the corresponding rearward louver blade, withthe center lines of the streams approximately as shown by the lines 8 inFig. 4.

This leaves a pocket 9 of relatively stagnant air in front of the saidrearward louver blade, through which stagnant air the momentum of thedust readily carries the latter. Consequent- 1y, my staggered louvergrille effects a considerable separation of dust, gravel, and the likefrom the air.

This dust-separation is enhanced when each rearward louver bladecomprises two webs diverging rearwardly away from each other at an angleof more than 90 degrees, and particularly so when the angle ofdivergence of these webs is not less than about 120 degrees, so thatdust entering along the line 24 in Fig. 4 (at right angles to the commonplane 25 of the front faces of the forward louver blades) will bereflected against the rear faces of forward blades.

The rearward blades also may be centrally ribbed, as shown in Fig. 4 andFig. 7, so that their central ribs will also affect the reflection oflight to enhance both the appearance of the grille and the obscuring ofthe radiator core. The forward blades may likewise be changed from agenerally flat frontal effect, as shown by the forward blades in Fig.'7, each of which includes two rearwardly diverging webs 10A and 103. Tosecure a rigid fastening of such V-fronted forward blades to the arms Aof the blade-connecting cross-bars, I desirably provide each such arm Awith two feet (11 and 12) extending in divergingplanes; and I preferablyalso have the two feet on each arm extend in opposite directions withrespect to a flat face of the arm, as shown in Fig. 8. This same figurealso shows each forwardly offset cross-bar portion 13 midway betweenconsecutive arms as bowed formed to fit against the rear face of aV-fronted rearward blade 14 in the manner shown in Fig. 4.

However, I do not wish to be limited to the use of blade-connectingmembers welded to the rear faces of the rearward blades, since otherarrangements might be employed for fastening these blades to theconnecting members. For example, Fig. 9 shows a portion of a grille inwhich fingered arms (allied to those of Fig 8) support the forwardblades 15, and in which the bar B carrying these arms has slots throughwhich rearwardly projecting fingers 16A on the rearward blades areclinched after the manner shown in Fig. 12.

Fig. 9 also shows each blade as comprising two webs tangential to anarcuate medial portion, instead of showing the forwardly projectingmedial rib R in Figs. 4, 6 or '7, thereby producing a different frontalappearance from the previously described figures. The spacing 17 (Fig.7) of the common plane 19 of the most forward portions of the rearwardblades from the common frontal plane of the forward blades may also bevaried, as shown by a comparison of Figs. 7 and 9; and the attractiveappearances of my grilles may be further enhanced by also making theforward blades of a different color from the rearward ones.

Moreover, the relative staggering of the consecutive louver blades neednot be as to all portions thereof, and the blades of the two sets neednot be even of counterpart widths or shaping. For example, Fig. 10 showsa portion of a grille in which the two sets of louver elements arestaggered only as to their rearward edges, while all of these elementspresents their most forward portions in a common plate 25. In this case,each alternate louver element is of a rearwardly open channel sectionpresenting parallel side webs 18A extending rearwardly from a generallyfiat front portion 18, to which the frontal portion an arm A of eachblade-connecting bar B is fastened, this arm being longer than the widthof each web 18A. The interposed louver blades 19 are of a rearwardlyopen approximately V- shaped section, with fingers 19A extending fromthe rear edges of their webs, each finger being clinched through a slotof the connecting bar B which is formed as shown in Fig. 13.

Fig. 11 shows part of a grille constructed similarly to that of Fig. 10,but in which relatively Wider front portions are presented by the louverblades 21 which are directly clinched to the crossbar.

Fig. 12 shows part of a grille also allied to that of Fig. 10, but inwhich each louver element 22 which is directly secured to the cross-barprojects. forwardly beyond the frontal plane of the louver elementssupported by arms on this bar, and in which the frontal portion of eachsuch louver element is ornamented by a slotted tube 23 slipped over it,which tube mig t be of chromeplated metal or of stainless steel.

Moreover, it should be obvious without separate picturing, that thesurface 25 tangential to the frontal portions of all of the forwardlouver elements need not be a simple plane; as for example, that thissurface might be a segment lid of a cylindrical surface to afford arounded grille front, or might consist of two rearwardly divergingplanes to afford a V-front effect as shown in Fig. 17. Nor is itessential that the rearwardly diverging webs in a V-sectioned louverblade be of equal width, since departure in this respect may beadvantageous in grilles of some frontal configurations. For example,Fig. 1'? diagrammatically shows a horizontal'section through a V-frontgrille with upright blades in which the central blade 26 of the rearwardset has webs of equal width and is disposed squarely behind the centralblade 28 of the forward set; and in which each other rearward blade hastwo webs 27A and 27B of relatively different widths.

So also, it is not essential to my invention that the louver elements(which I have heretofore designated as louver blades) should havestraight longitudinal edges after the manner of straight bars, so longas these longitudinal edges of the louver elements are co-parallel.Instead of being formed for presenting a parallel straightbar effect, aspictured in Fig. 1, the co-parallel elements of my grille might beconcentric annular elements, as shown in Fig. 15, thereby alsopresenting the advantages disclosed for annular louvers in my copendingapplication #657,037, filed February 16, 1933.

Since a transverse section through the annular louver elements of Fig.15, as shown in Fig. 16, will be a counterpart of what the section wouldbe if the elements were straight-edged, it will be obvious that theheretofore described advantages of my staggered louver-blade arrangementwould apply equally with such annular elements, and that anyblade-connecting bar B extending transversely of such annular louverelements could be formed and secured to these elements in the heretoforedescribed manner.

Moreover, it is not essential to my invention that all of the louverelements of the grille be in relatively staggered disposition, or thateach rearward louver element should have its most forward portionequally spaced from the adjacent forward louver elements. For example,with a V -front grille, the central louver blade 26 of the rearward setmay be centrally behind the central blade 28 of the forward set (asshown in Fig. 1'7) while the other rearward louver elements are inrelatively staggered relation. For such a V-front type, each non-centralrearward louver blade may be of a rearwardly open V- section presentinga short web 27A extending laterally inward of the grille and entirelybehind one frontal blade 29, together with a relatively wider web 273extending behind the space between the frontal blade 29 and the nextlaterally outward frontal blade.

Since the advantages obtained by the staggered arrangement of the louverblades of my here presented grilles do not depend on the means forholding these blades in their recited dispositions, I also do not wishto be limited to the employment of the illustrated cross-bars forconnecting the louver blades. So also, while I have heretofore describedmy novel grille as associated with the air-admitting opening in thefrontal shell of an automobile, I do not wish to be limited as to itsuses.

I claim as my invention:

- 1. A grille comprising two sets of consecutively spaced andsubstantially parallel louver blades,

one set of the blades being spaced rearwardly from the other set andcomprising blades disposed in staggered relation to those of the saidother set; and connecting means fastened to and ,connecting the two setsof blades into a rigid assembly, the said means comprising connectingmembers extending transversely of and secured directly'to the louverblades of the rearward set, and arms extending forwardly from the saidmembers and respectively fastened to the blades of the forward set.

2.. A grille as per claim 1, in which each connecting member extendsbehind the louver blades of the rearward set, and in which each of thesaid arms extends entirely behind and is of less width than the forwardlouver member to which it is fastened, so that substantially allportions of the connecting means are concealed by the louver blades in afrontal view of the grille.

3. A grille as per claim 1, in which each connecting member bearsflatwise against the rear faces of louver blades of the rearward set forthe'major portion of the width of the last named louver blades.

i. A grille as per claim 1, in which each connecting member-bearsflatwise against the rear faces of louver blades of the rearward set forthe major portion of the width of the last named louver blades, and inwhich the said blades of the rearward set have rearwardly directed sideflanges respectively engaging spaced portions of the connecting member.

5. A grille as per claim 1, in which each forwardly extending armincludes at least one finger extending transversely of the said arm andengaging a louver blade of the forward set.

6. A grille as per claim 1, in which each forwardly extending arm has aforward end portion thereof bent to form a finger extending transverselyof the said arm and in fiatwise engagement with the rear face of alouver blade of the forward set.

'7. A grille as per claim 1, in which each forwardly extending armincludes two fingers respectively engaging laterally spaced portions ofa louver blade of the forward set.

8. A grille as'per claim 1, in which the said arms extend alternatelyfrom opposite longitudinal edges of the connecting member from whichthese arms extend.

9. A grille as per claim 1, in which each louver blade of the forwardset is of a generally V-shaped cross-section presenting two rearwardlydiverging webs, and in which each of the said forwardly extending armsincludes two fingers respectively fastened to the two webs of a louverblade of the forward set.

10. A grille comprising co-parallel and consecutively spaced louverblades consecutively staggered in a direction at right angles to thefront face of the grille, whereby the said blades constitute a forwardand a rearward set of blades, a rigid structure connecting all blades ofthe rearward set, and, auxiliary elements fastened to the said structureand respectively fastened to a louver blade of the forward set, eachsuch auxiliary element extending between portions of the said structurefastened respectively to two consecutive blades of the rearward set.

LEE B. GREEN.

